Transitions project practitioner jobs

Role Summary

Job title: Communications Lead
Contract: Part-time (80% FTE), permanent position 
Location: Hybrid working: office base is at Somerset House, London: we are flexible on approach, within a hybrid model of in-person & virtual. This can be discussed at interview (*) 
Salary: £44k p.a. (pro rata)
Reporting to: Director of Julie’s Bicycle
Start date: Ideally beginning of March 2026 - depending on candidate’s notice period 
Hours: Working hours are 9.30am - 5.30pm, Monday to Friday
(requests for flexible working hours will be considered) 

Other:

• Annual leave is 25 days per year (pro rata) plus standard bank holidays
• Cultural entitlement of £250 per annum (pro rata) to spend on arts/cultural events & activities
• All employees are able to claim 1 hour a week for personal wellbeing
• Pension scheme enrolment and 6% employer contributions (reviewed annually)

(*) Access to office space in London is always available to staff who can't or don't want to work from home. 

If you would like this application pack in a different format (e.g. large print or audio file), please contact us (information in the link provided).

About Julie’s Bicycle (JB)

JB is a leading non-profit putting climate action at the heart of culture. We believe that creativity is a powerful catalyst for change — and that the arts and cultural sector has a vital role to play in building a just, regenerative future.

For over 15 years, we’ve worked with artists, cultural institutions, funders, and policymakers to mobilise creative climate leadership and action through advocacy, research, policy influence, training, path-finding projects and community building. We champion climate justice, centre equity, and believe that environmental solutions must be driven by cultural shifts as well as systems change. For more information on all our programmes, please visit our website.

The Role

We’re seeking a visionary and collaborative Communications Lead to lead the next phase of our communications strategy. This role is about more than messaging — it’s about shaping a compelling and inspiring public voice for creative climate action.

You will be responsible for our brand, storytelling, content strategy, and creative outputs—ensuring that everything we do reflects our values, amplifies our impact, and deepens our reach across the cultural and climate landscape. You’ll also play a key role in supporting our impact including welcoming new cultural organisations, creative practitioners, environmental partners, and funders into our network.

This is a digital-first communications role, with a strong focus on content development, storytelling, and designing varied communication campaigns. You’ll oversee our editorial voice across blogs, email, social media, and digital content. Alongside our Marketing Lead, you will ensure our insights, tools, and narratives are warm, purpose-focused, clear, accessible, and optimised for reach and engagement. You will be someone who thrives on the combination of ambitious strategic thinking and delivering content and projects on the ground.

You will collaborate with partner organisations to co-create communications, support joint campaigns, and ensure our voice is visible and aligned in the broader climate and culture movement. And while press/media remains part of the role, your primary focus will be digital content, brand positioning, and reaching new audiences.

You will be part of a small Marketing and Communications team and work closely with the rest of JB’s 20-person, supportive and mission-driven team.

We encourage people from any background to apply for this post. We are committed to creating a workforce which is representative of our society, and to bringing together those with a variety of skills and experiences to help shape what we do and how we work. We are particularly keen to hear from people of colour and those who self-identify as disabled.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and deliver an inclusive, digital-first communications strategy that positions Julie’s Bicycle as a cultural leader in climate action.
• Work with senior leadership to drive communications that support organisational growth, impact and fundraising, helping to expand our network and deepen engagement with the arts and cultural sector and the climate and environmental movement.
• Embed climate justice and equity throughout our communications, ensuring our language, images, and stories reflect a diverse, accessible, and fair transition.
• Champion our core narrative: putting climate action at the heart of culture.

Brand, Creative & Campaigns

• Lead on brand implementation, ensuring coherence of messaging and tone across all channels and materials.
• Deliver innovative and values-led communications campaigns in collaboration with partners and internal teams. Lead on key messaging, ensuring we are consistent and confident across all our channels.
• Take a data-led approach to maximise impact of our communications.
• Oversee design and creative production for campaigns, reports and digital content, (working alongside our Marketing Lead and with support from external designers/freelancers).
• Ensure communications projects are managed on time and on budget.
• Develop and implement communications for newer target audiences in particular leaders and change-makers across the environmental sector.
• Collaborate with our Marketing Lead to co-develop mar/comms strategies for individual programmes and projects, working closely with our programme leads.

Content & Digital

• Develop engaging, inclusive content across web, blogs, newsletters and social media.
• Shape and oversee editorial calendars that reflect our programmes, partnerships, research, and events.
• Lead on our content management and storytelling strategy.
• Ensure all content is optimised for audience growth, accessibility, and search (SEO), working closely with our Marketing Lead who leads on our overall web and SEO strategy.
• Support on the production of public reports and external briefing materials, ensuring appropriate tone and key messages.
• Manage internal and freelance team members producing social media content.

Partnerships & Profile

• Collaborate with cultural, environmental, and funding partners to co-create shared messaging, campaigns, and communications assets.
• Ensure JB’s story, voice, and impact are clearly represented in all collaborations and public-facing materials.
• Support JB’s role in coalitions and networks by developing communications that reflect collective aims and shared values.
• Work with the JB CEO and programme leads to create and implement a strategy for public-facing thought leadership.

Media & External Relations

• Maintain relationships with relevant journalists and media outlets, responding to media opportunities that align with our strategy.
• Support the Director and other team members with media briefings and public communications as needed.
• When funded opportunities arise, lead liaison with external PR and media consultants.

Team & Collaboration

• Line manage / support the management of the Marketing and Communications Coordinator.
• Work closely with all internal teams — partnership, consultancy, research, advocacy, programmes — to align messaging and amplify impact.
• Contribute to organisational learning, planning, and shared values.
• Support the implementation and day to day running of JB’s new CRM.
• With the Marketing Lead, strengthen internal editorial and brand sign off processes for publications, media releases and key content.
• Support impact measurement and communication of impact.

Person Specification

Essential

• Substantial experience in a senior communications role, ideally within the cultural, environmental, or non-profit sectors.
• Significant experience in designing and delivering successful communications strategies.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills, with a track record of developing clear, creative, and inclusive content.
• Strong experience in campaign development, brand implementation, visual storytelling, and communications project management.
• Knowledge of content strategy, SEO, and audience engagement across digital platforms.
• Demonstrable ability to embed equity, diversity, and commitment to climate justice into communications practice.
• Collaborative and confident communicator with experience working across teams and with external partners.
• Strategic thinker with a commitment to Julie’s Bicycle’s mission and values.
• Strong design aesthetic and use of design skills (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud suite and Canva).
• Strong project management skills: the ability to meet deadlines and work flexibly across priorities in a fast-changing environment.
• Attention to detail and excellent proof reading.

Desirable

• Familiarity with climate and/or cultural policy environments.
• Experience working with funders, public bodies, or large-scale cultural partnerships.
• PR and media relations experience and contacts across digital and print channels
• Design, photography, or multimedia experience (or managing those with those skills).
• Experience contributing to organisational growth and development through communications.

Why Join Us?

At Julie’s Bicycle, you’ll join a passionate team working at the intersection of creativity and climate action. We offer a collaborative, inclusive, and flexible working culture — where your voice will shape how the cultural sector responds to one of the greatest challenges of our time. 

How to Apply

If you’d like to apply, please complete the application form and equal opportunities monitoring form on our website and submit these by 11.59pm on Sunday 18th Jan 2026.

We are committed to being an Equal Opportunities Employer; we welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, disability, culture, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

Please note, this post is open to people who already have the right to live and work in the UK, as Julie’s Bicycle is not currently in a position to sponsor a work visa.

A note on AI

While we understand that some people may use AI tools for accessibility (and recognise and support that many assistive technologies may use elements of AI), we ask candidates to consider what tools are most appropriate during the application process. For example, we recognise the value for many people of machine learning language tools like Grammarly. On the other hand we would discourage the use of generative AI tools in writing your application, as we'd like to understand your personal interest in working for Julie's Bicycle, and be able to understand your non-AI-assisted communication skills just as they are. We also recognise that for many of the people and creative communities we work with, the rise of generative AI poses a threat to their livelihoods, while the environmental impacts of AI are only set to grow: this means we also have a responsibility as Julie's Bicycle to consider where and when (and if) we use AI in our work. 

Thank you for your interest in working at Julie’s Bicycle.

Starting Salary: £34,629-£41,768 (non-London weighting) - £38,613-£45,752 (Inc. London weighting) - FTE

The salary will be prorated based on the contracted hours

Contract: Permanent -  Part-time 28 hours per week (4 days)

Location: UK Hybrid

Job Profile

The Major Gifts (MGP) Executive – Corporates and Outreach (MGECO) is a hybrid role responsible for managing a small pool of corporate donors and prospects as well as working with colleagues to coordinate outreach within priority Major Donor audiences.

CAFOD’s Corporate Partnerships Portfolio has an annual target income of £858,000. The Executive will be responsible for a small group of Corporate Partners giving under £50,000/year, with the goal of maintaining and maximising the value and potential of these relationships

A key component of CAFOD’s continued MGP fundraising success is the identification and development of a strong pipeline of new major gift donors. Working with colleagues, the Executive role will identify and cultivate prospective donors with the goal of expanding the MGP Section portfolio. This will be achieved through strategic outreach work within CAFOD’s priority audiences.

The role sits within the Corporate Partnerships Team, a part of the Major Gifts and Philanthropy Section in the Fundraising and Participation Group. The post reports to the Corporate Partnerships Manager (CPM), working closely and in consultation with the Philanthropy Manager (PM) and MGP Research and Information Manager (MGPRIM). The post-holder will collaborate on strategic planning and cross-functional initiatives within the MGP section. They will also contribute to cross-team projects as agreed with the CPM.

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in fundraising – ideally in major gifts and philanthropy donor management or external relationship development. They will have experience in operational planning and a collaborative mindset. They will be a confident self-starter capable of building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to develop and grow impactful relationships.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Partnerships Relationship Management 

• Be responsible for the day-to-day management of a small portfolio of Corporate Partner Relationships with the goal of maximising the value of relationships. This includes proposal and report writing as well as written, telephone and face-to-face communication
• Facilitate engagement with corporate partner staff to feedback on CAFOD’s work and foster participation using both traditional and innovative methods.
• Work in collaboration with colleagues across communications and digital teams to promote CAFOD’s Corporate Partnerships offer.
• Work on and monitor KPIs for corporate donors.
• Support the CPM with wide Corporate Partnership work as required.

MGP Donor Outreach

• Work collaboratively with MGP team leads and wider organisation staff to deliver a prospecting strategy which successfully identifies and engages priority audiences. These audiences include Catholic Parishes, Diaspora Communities, Catholic School Alumni, and other audiences in which high-net-worth individuals may be engaged.
• This will include responsibility for:

• • Prospecting – carrying out desk research and working with necessary internal CAFOD stakeholders to identify priority audiences.
  • Planning – Strategising engagement plans with identified audiences, working with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Coordinating engagement – Working with colleagues across the MGP team and wider CAFOD staff as well as external stakeholders to coordinate the delivery of engagement activities that reach priority audiences and are in line with wider CAFOD engagement activity.

• Ensure that the MGP prospecting and outreach strategy is in line with the wider organisation strategy and priorities, communicating progress with colleagues across the organisation regularly.
• Establish and work to clear success measures and KPIs, set targets for the overall strategy and specific engagements, and ensure appropriate tools and resources are in place to achieve them.

 Administrative, Support, and Planning

• Support in the administration of corporate donor portfolio, working with CAFOD colleagues to transition donors out of and receive donors into the corporates portfolio when necessary.
• Work with the Corporate Partnership Manager and Philanthropy Manager to shape strategy, support forecast targets and activities as well as reporting,  planning and budgeting.

 Safeguarding

• All CAFOD staff share the responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.

Job Specific Competencies

Essential Criteria

• Clear understanding of corporate partnership and major donor fundraising and an ability to build relationships at various levels to achieve objectives.
• Comfortable in the major donor and business environments; understand what decision-making processes may influence the support for charities.
• Strong in writing effective supporter communication material and confident presentation skills.
• Strong research skills to identify potential donors and engagement opportunities within priority communities.
• A sound knowledge of the life, structures and networks of the Catholic communities of England and Wales and how to effectively engage those who may support through major gifts.
• Strong organisation skills and ability to co-develop tailored donor engagement plans with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with broader fundraising goals.
• Passionate about overcoming global poverty and injustice.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a major gift environment.
• Proficient in using donor databases and internal systems to maintain accurate records and support reporting needs.
• Knowledge and awareness of the field of international development and humanitarian aid
• Experience using creative and innovative methods to foster engagement successfully.
• Understanding and operational experience with GDPR

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults  

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents. This post involves contact with children, young people and vulnerable adults, or has responsibility for people who will do, and applicants will be subject to specific checks related to safeguarding issues.  If based in the UK the post holder is required to present or obtain a Disclosure from the DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service).  If the post is based outside the UK the post holder will be subject to a different checking process. 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures. 

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits 

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities. 

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.